Layered oxide materials are commonly utilized in lithium-ion battery cells. Examples include LiCoO2, and compounds of composition Li(MnxNyCo1-x-y)O2, the so called NMCs. These oxides, are suitable for high-voltage operation, and could increase the energy density of Li-ion batteries. Mechanisms of loss of capacity, rise of impedance, capacity loss, and other related metrics are of importance for these next generation batteries. The structural modifications involved in these processes are not

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... rely understood, particularly processes occurring at the atomic scale, due to the difficulty in imaging them directly. The first step in imaging is sample preparation, and traditional powder sample methods pose problems for these materials. The particle size in the majority of battery materials is too large for direct analysis by TEM. Powder preparation methods necessarily result in a loss of information due to homogenization of the many components of the electrode and loss of all associations between the fragments that become thin enough for atomic-resolution imaging. 764